Onions Can Make You Really, Really Sick! Please read.

I learned my lesson about onions. Don't cut or peel them until you're ready to use them.

I used an onion for a stew that I had cut open a day or two before and had left in the fridge.
It looked fine, smelled fine...and it made me as sick as dog for about 36 hours until my body could
finally get rid of it.

I have a strong constitution--have only been sick three times in thirty years.
Twice with food poisoning from buffet food and once from an onion.

...the onion episode was by far the worst. And it only took about two hours to knock me on my butt.

I've made so many curries over the last 15+ years and onion and garlic are major ingredients and I've never gotten sick.

But, OP, you have made me aware of the left over onion issue, never thought of this. Whether true or not, I'm changing my ways on this practice. Yuck. Onion sponge. Still haven't gotten sick from it, but better to err on the side of caution.
Your story made me think.

Originally posted by rival
I learned my lesson about onions. Don't cut or peel them until you're ready to use them.

I used an onion for a stew that I had cut open a day or two before and had left in the fridge.
It looked fine, smelled fine...and it made me as sick as dog for about 36 hours until my body could
finally get rid of it.

im curious, why do you think it was only the onion? I am assuming you used a few other ingredients. Are you sure those were fine? Or maybe your illness wasn't related to the food at all. Perhaps you had a virus?

reply to post by sled735
Not true. I will go as far as to say your claims are a downright HOAX

For those in doubt do some studying on the chemistry of onions.

I actually eat raw onions to help fight colds.

I have also often heard people putting onions in their socks at night to get rid of cold and flu.

Originally posted by theMediator
I actually eat raw onions to help fight colds.

I have also often heard people putting onions in their socks at night to get rid of cold and flu.

Yeah, I bet their socks have never once had a cold or flu!

reply to post by BrokenAngelWings33


I love to cook with Garlic and onion.

However, I work at a logistics company and whenever we get pallets of Onion and Garlic powder, I get nauseous. Usually takes two hours or so to recover.

What’s up with that?

Originally posted by homeskillet

Originally posted by rival
I learned my lesson about onions. Don't cut or peel them until you're ready to use them.

I used an onion for a stew that I had cut open a day or two before and had left in the fridge.
It looked fine, smelled fine...and it made me as sick as dog for about 36 hours until my body could
finally get rid of it.

im curious, why do you think it was only the onion? I am assuming you used a few other ingredients. Are you sure those were fine? Or maybe your illness wasn't related to the food at all. Perhaps you had a virus?

I haven't had a cold, flu, or virus since around the late seventies, unlike food poisoning three times.

What made me think it was the onion?

My stew consists of canned goods, onion, and ground beef. The onion and the meat were the
most suspicious to me (actually at first I thought it was the meat). But the meat had been kept
well, and the onion had not. I had to trim a little bit of the dry edge off before chopping the rest.
So I researched onions and the potential for botulism etc....

Turns out onions are a VERY likely suspect in food poisoning cases. So much so that I have heard
the EMT's sometimes will ask if you have eaten anything with onion when presented with a suspected
case of food poisoning.

reply to post by sled735


the pseudo scientific irrationality is strong in this tail

it uses virus and bacteria interchanably

it fails to provide any explaination of how an onion can " absorbe " any pothogen from the air - let alone all the pathogens in a 12 m3 room

it fails to explain the significance of the bowl - think about it - was the " family " the only one to own onions - most kitchens of the time would have had a string of onions ready for use

i could go on- but whats the point ? i shall simply lament the lack of critical thinking

Originally posted by rival
I learned my lesson about onions. Don't cut or peel them until you're ready to use them.

I used an onion for a stew that I had cut open a day or two before and had left in the fridge.
It looked fine, smelled fine...and it made me as sick as dog for about 36 hours until my body could
finally get rid of it.

I have a strong constitution--have only been sick three times in thirty years.
Twice with food poisoning from buffet food and once from an onion.

...the onion episode was by far the worst. And it only took about two hours to knock me on my butt.

www.onions-usa.org...

Always handle onions with care.

Do not drop onions as this often causes bruising and internal decay.

Bagged or boxed onions should be stored at least one foot away from walls and other pallets to allow proper air movement.

Keep stacks of bags or boxes at five feet or less.

Store onions in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area.

Maintain storage temperature of 45-55°F.

Do not wrap onions in plastic or store in plastic bags. A lack of air circulation will reduce shelf life.

Onions should feel firm and dry, be free of gray or black mold, and should not have any visible sprouting.

Some loose skins are normal.

Do not store onions with potatoes or other produce items that release moisture.

Keep onions out of direct sunlight and other heat sources.

Cut onions will keep for several days if sealed in plastic bags or containers and refrigerated.

if you follow these rules you will not get sick from onions.

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by BrokenAngelWings33

 

I love to cook with Garlic and onion.

However, I work at a logistics company and whenever we get pallets of Onion and Garlic powder, I get nauseous. Usually takes two hours or so to recover.

What’s up with that?

Could have something to do with the sulfur in both vegetables...maybe a respiratory reaction from a concentrated amount due to the size of the shipment involved.

reply to post by ArtOfTrance


I gave a friend the advice of using cut onion at the head and base of his childs bed when the child was ill with a flu, the child sounded terrible lying in bed hardly able to breath, well the next day the she was running around, still a bit weak but a happy smiling child!

And just to add to ArtOfTrances post, onion has anticarcinogenic properties but is more effective if cooked!

Originally posted by BrokenAngelWings33

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by BrokenAngelWings33

 

I love to cook with Garlic and onion.

However, I work at a logistics company and whenever we get pallets of Onion and Garlic powder, I get nauseous. Usually takes two hours or so to recover.

What’s up with that?

Could have something to do with the sulfur in both vegetables...maybe a respiratory reaction from a concentrated amount due to the size of the shipment involved.

Thank you for the response. After looking through many search pages, your response is the first that makes sense.

I am going to wear a mask from now on when dealing with these loads.

Used half a raw onion to absorb kitchen/fridge odors /Check
Reaches for a fresh raw onion and fresh raw garlic cloves when infected with the lurgy /Check

Raw/cooked fresh onion and garlic have served me a damn sight better over the years than any antibiotic.

i always thought the flu was a virus,not bacteria?

Virus - Bacteria Differences Viruses are the smallest and simplest life form known. They are 10 to 100 times smaller than bacteria. The biggest difference between viruses and bacteria is that viruses must have a living host - like a plant or animal - to multiply, while most bacteria can grow on non-living surfaces. Bacteria are intercellular organisms(i.e. they live in-between cells); whereas viruses are intracellular organisms (they infiltrate the host cell and live inside the cell). They change the host cell's genetic material from its normal function to producing the virus itself. There are some useful bacteria but all viruses are harmful. Antibiotics can kill bacteria but not viruses. An example of a disease caused by bacteria is strep throat and an example of an affliction caused by a virus is the flu.

Originally posted by turkey79
i always thought the flu was a virus,not bacteria?

I'd like to focus for a moment on the other side of this story, that a cut onion in a jar can help to cure cold/flu.

Is it conceivable that breathing "onion air" while you sleep (or while awake, for that matter) could produce health benefits?

Originally posted by DeReK DaRkLy

You could consider me a guinea pig for testing this theory...

I have a "leftover" onion I've been using in salads for at least a month now.
(Sounds weird, but I live alone and it was a BIG onion.)

It tends to get a little slimy between uses, so I rinse it with warm water before using again.
So far I haven't gotten sick, but I am definitely pushing the limit on the life of this onion!

Thank you! Before reading your post I'm sitting here thinking that I've always had onions sitting in the fridge for at least a couple of months. If they don't get soft, I use them. The only thing I've noticed about old onions is they sometimes get a barely discernible bitter taste, but still not worthy of throwing out.

If you do get sick and have a sore throat or cough try cutting a large onion slice and put it in a small pan and add honey and a splash of apple cider vinegar and cook it down into a thick syrup. This was grandma's homemade cough and sore throat remedy. It worked on me!

reply to post by sled735


False and old!
Snopes